The Old, the Wild and its Master
by MetalMike
Summary: A skirmish beetween the four powers of magic results in a long struggle for the control of the elements. EPILOUGE IS UP! READ'N'STUFF!
1. Control

_"And whoever shall cut the blossom, at the moment when it opens fully from the bud, shall turn events and have the right to command the Old Magic and the Wild Magic, to drive all rival powers out of the world and out of time."_

Uh, Hi! Mike here! This is my first 'lil DiR fic. Hope you like it. Its about the truth behind the Old and Wild magic. I'll prolly add to it, because its obviously not much of anything now ^_^; 

Disclaimer: Susan Cooper owns the characters from the books. Traci and Alana belong to themselves, I just threw them in here because it seems appropriate. And just as I hope Susan Cooper will not sue any of us, I hope Traci and Alana dont sue me. ^^; Anyway! 

A/N: Italics are direct quotes from Silver on the Tree. 

_...And Bran, free now to use both arms, swung the glittering blade of the sword Eirias at the green mistletoe within the oak, and cut the stars of bright blossom from the tree. As the spray parted Merriman turned, tall and triumphant, and caught the blossom before it fell; he swept round, blue cloak billowing, and in a swift breathtaking movement flung it up into the sky. And the mistletoe blossom changed in that instant into a white bird, and the bird flew up into the sky..._

From the patch of open sky in a world of clouds that the bird had flown into a beam of light shot down. The patch poured down its light, and as the light gathered it began to take shape..   
First, it materialized into a miniscule creature, tiny in stature but not in power, as Merriman could sense. He kept his eyes locked onto the small, half bug, half bird type mutant-but it was only a few seconds before it changed into something else- this time a large purple beetle with long, spindly legs.   
*FLASH!* It changed again, into a yellow, striped rat. *FLASH!* Again and again, like a faulty hologram, until it was changing so quickly it looked like patches of color on a quilt.   
Like a slot machine, it began slowing down, until it was hardly moving at all, choosing it's form. It came to rest on nothing but a boy, be it one who looked almost identical to Will Stanton. As he lifted his head Will could see that he was a few years older-at least, this representation of him. Just one thing was different.   
A peice of metal had been fixed over his right eye. In the center of the metal was a diamond shaped hole for him to see out of, and the boy's right eye was red as a center of a volcano. But his other eye was completley filled in with blue, an ocean to contrast with the destructive magma.   
The boy looked at the Dark, or so it seemed from his filled in eyes. Will couldn't tell where he was looking. It seemed like his full eye had paint poured into it. The boy continued staring in the direction of the Riders, one eye warm and one eye cold.   
There was another flash of bright, searing light. Will blinked and attempted to see what had happened through the glare of the light imprinted on his eyes. Behind the boy, amassed, was a great army of creatures. Among them were two girls, which Jane recognised with a shock as the two michevious girls from Trewissick. However, on their right eye was the now familiar metal, but one of the girls had two red eyes and one had two blue.   
The entire army wore the metal on their right eye. Will noticed the intricate patterns carved into the metal and sighed. Imprited onto it were a link of six circles, quarted with a cross. Below this, in flowy writing, the words 'Hisame Ko Issun'. And to the right, a word that looked like 'Erised'.   
The boy at the front drew a sword from a scabbard at his side and waved it over his head. The entire army, with one fluid motion, drew weapons of their choice. One of the girls brandished a flaming torch, seemingly still michevious in their almost android-like state.   
A wave of energy and a blast of power surged forward, and the mass of fluid people skimmed up and at the Riders. The Black Rider gave a roar of rage and frustration.   
_Each of the Signs held there in each of six hands blazed suddenly with cold light like fire, too bright for eyes to watch, and with two mingling voices crying out in fear and despair the great rearing figures of the Black Rider and the white Rider of the Dark fell backwards out of Time and disappeared._ Just as the Signs burned away in their cold fire so did the army composed of the Wild and Old Magics. And all was quiet. 

A/N: Yes, I know it's short, but its made to bring up questions and make people curious ^_~ 


	2. Balance

Uh, hi again! Here's my second chapter. I borrowed some plot ideas from T. A. Barron's Merlin books...if you haven't read them, you should. 

Traci: I was using the red and the blue to symbolise Flame and Water...but no worries, you have the real eye color now! 

Once again, these characters are from Susan Cooper, with the exception of Ector from The Mirror of Merlin. The Mirror of Erised belongs to J. K. Rowling, and Traci and Alana belong to themselves. Now read. ^_^ 

_ They stood in silence about the tree, unable to speak._

The only one left was the boy. As Will watched, the color in his eyes drained, the metal dislodged and fell. And as the true eyes of the boy's were shown it was all Will could do to keep from crying out loud in surprise.   
The boy's eyes were tawny, flecked with gold. They were the same eyes as the Pendragon, Bran. They were the same eyes of the Huntsman.   
The boy's stature faltered. He fell on the ground to his knees, staring at the engravings on the metal. Suddenly he lost his similarity of Will in their minds. It was strange; there he was, looking so much like the Sign Seeker....but he was not, and the Six's minds could understand this. It was the sight of the eyes, tawny around the edges and yet flinty blue. The lighting made his hair look yellow- or was it the lighting? The whole form of the boy seemed so surreal.   
He regained his composure, and only then did he notice the Circle of the Six. His eyes lingered over Bran-especially his sword, Eirias. Finally, Merriman broke the blanketing silence.   
"Who are you?"   
It was so natural a question that it awoke everyone from their stupor. The boy paused for a moment, as if pondering whether or not to answer.   
"They call me...Ector," he said, hesitantly. "But more importantly, what has happened here? Has the High Magic called me for the purpose of ill-will?" He kept running his hand through his now clearly yellowed hair, as if incredibly nervous about something.   
"You and the others have sent the Dark out of Time. By Pendragon's sword the Dark has fallen!"   
Ector gasped, and fell again to the ground. He raised up the small metal piece that had been on his eye. "Erised.." he said aloud. "It's brought me here again. Erised. The Mirror." He coughed weakly. "Maybe I can trust you with who I really am."   
"In a universe other then this, I was supposed to be King Arthur." The boy spat out the name like he held a grudge. "Merlin, my mentor, was trapped in his home by a cunning sorceress named Nimue. I escaped, but there was no way I could live up to what I had to do. In my world, the Light has failed.   
"The Mirror....the Mirror was a passageway through time. But it was so unpredictible- sometimes you could end up in a whole different universe if you werent careful...if you werent concentrating properly... but it fell into the hands of what you would call a necromancer. It only showed to him the future, he never entered it- only saw that he would be great. But he was obsessed with the vision he saw. So much so that his death caused it to lose all it's time traveling powers...the Mirror now only shows what the person WANTS to see in it. Mortals call it Erised."   
Ector stood again, and his eyes suddenly blazed. The metal flew to his face as the eye became red and the left blue. He talked again, in quite a normal voice, to their surprise.   
"Bran...Eirias.."   
Bran unsheathed the sword. Ector walked over to it and placed it into his hand. He smiled a cruelly bitter smile. "This is my destiny...before me...my shattered life." He waved the sword around his head before yelling what sounded like a war cry to those who did not know the meaning.   
"Excalibur!"   
The boy dropped the sword as if it pained him to remember the blade Merlion found in a small bread shop. The blade from the Lost Land, returned there and kept there by it's King. Ector began to fade, whispering...'Hisame Ko Issun'....   
"Flame can be a weapon..." stated Merriman grimly, "but also a source of life. Water causes floods and rains....but it is essential to every human being. Which eye of the Old and Wild Magic is the truth? In the end, if the balance is not restored, every destiny is lost." And Will understood.   
About ten feet away, two girls were arguing. They no longer had the glowing eyes-in fact, the one who had red now had a placid blue, and the formally blue eyed girl's eyes were now green.   
"Fire!"   
"Water!"   
"Red!"   
"Blue!" 

A/N: You like? I'm going to expand on it more. It has a lot to do with the balance of the elements, and appaerently everyone here is balanced enough, with the exception of the one-sided Wild Magic girls...but thats why they call it Wild, ne? Chapter 3 will be up..sometime. Meh. 


	3. Discovery

Uh, Hello again! Here's the third chapter. This is really not much of a chapter, but it was required to move the plot. Oh, and I realised I have got to be incredibly slow or something. How many times did I see 'The Winds of Flame' and miss the second element >_ Oh well. It actually works better with the two other elements added into the Balance. 

Disclaimer: Susan Cooper owns the tree, but thats pretty much all in this chapter. Traci and Alana belong to themselves still, nothing has changed. Craig is my own character. 

Somewhere far from the site of the tree that blossomed every seven hundred years, a capsule floated alone. It forlornly turned over as a wave struck it from behind. The capsule had floated in this ocean for seemingly thousands, millions of years. It was part of it's essence. It was part of the Balance.   
A small fishing boat was not far from the small peice of debris. And in this small fishing boat was a passenger. A man with long black hair and beard. He was clearly very old, and the lines on his face told something about him, to the trained eye. He had once known a smile as his friend, but as the years beat upon his brow he had traded that ability for power. And by the look of the rags he wore he had lost even that. Now the lines showed malice and deciet. His name was Craig.   
Craig sat yawning ferverously. He had been lost at sea for three days now, and his fresh-water supply had been nearly used up. He frowned as he examined the half empty bottle of water.   
Suddenly something bumped against the side of the boat. Craig grabbed his pole and hoisted it in; but it seemed to be latched on to something in the water. It was the capsule, and it would not leave the ocean. Craig muttered an oath and reached for his bottle for a short swig.   
The capsule suddenly leaped out of the water and slammed into the bottle, almost knocking it from Craig's hands. Craig, startled, pulled at the capsule, but to no avail. He realised that the pull of the capsule to his bottle lessened with every sip he took. However, Craig was not stupid. He wasn't going to waste his water to get this tiny, useless junk off his bottle.   
He examined his find thoughtfully. In flowery letters, written in smeared ink, was the phrase 'Hisame Ko Issun'. Underneath this, in the same script, was the word 'Mizu'. Craig, who couldn't make heads or tails out of this particular coin, absentmindedly rolled it back to the end of his boat and cast his line into the sea. 

** * * ***

A few yards from the site of the tree, the green-eyed girl sat examining a piece of metal. She didn't recognise it, not being under the control of the High Magic any longer. The inscriptions seemed to make partial sense, if you left out the fact that 'Hisame Ko Issun' meant absolutely nothing. Frustrated, she threw it down the side of the hill.   
The other girl sat nearby, examining a little black book. "Find anything?"   
"Not a thing." She stood and looked daggers at the piece of metal. Slowly, the metal just sunk right down into the earth.   
"If it doesn't make any sense, why keep it," she grumbled.   
"What did you do with it?"   
The green-eyed girl shrugged. "Sent it through the earth. Unless it's something of great magic it'll burn up before reaching the other side."   
"Do you often do this when you are frustrated, and have you consulted a doctor?" 

** * * ***

Craig slept, with his head on the bottle.   
He didnt notice the peice of metal slowly rising from the bottom of his boat and laying at rest on the side. 

A/N: In case you couldn't tell, Im sort of changing the direction of the fic. Its no longer merely about who controls the Wild and Old Magic, its more of Why and How'n'stuff. So if you liked, and if you are not Susan Cooper's lawyer, please post a li'l review thing ^^ 


	4. Possession

Hi Hi~~ *waves* Im back again! Here's my fourth very weird chapter. More King Arthurness = fun! Now read, foolish mortal. -- Doesn't apply to Traci or Alana *cower* 

Disclaimer: The Black Rider belongs to Susan Cooper, and-thats it. o.O Everything else is mine, besides Mordred who belongs to himself, I guess. =/ 

Craig awoke to the tune of Sounds of Silence ringing in his head. Shrugging it off, he groggily sat up and examined his propped up fishing pole. The line had snapped. Cursing, Craig grudgingly replaced the line and propped it up on the side of the boat again. The pole hit something and clinked. Craig looked down and saw the smooth metal with the diamond shaped hole.   
He picked it up, not really paying enough attention, not really caring about a peice of garbage that had blown into his small boat. But he spotted something that made him think. 'Hisame Ko Issun'; the same words were engraved on the bottom of the metal. He frowned again. It was strange.   
Suddenly, as he sat there holding it, the diamond in the center began to glow red. Startled, Craig almost dropped the piece of metal. From inside the depths of the diamond came a harsh, cold voice.   
"Ah, Craig. How fortunate," said the voice, bemused. "Someone actually fit to carry on the workings of the Dark."   
"You again!" Craig spit on the floor of the boat for emphasis.   
"Yes, it is I, Craig. Or should I say...Mordred?"   
Craig's eyes burned with rage. "You...you took me. You possessed me, controlled me. For seven years I was under your sway. Black Rider."   
"I will not deny it. But I had no idea you were still alive."   
"Those of the kin of Arthur do not die with a simple strike of a blade."   
"But that was what happened to Arthur, was it not?"   
Craig muttered something intelligible, and the Rider laughed.   
"An enchanted sword? You-or should I say, I-weilded the sword Dimoltre. But that blade was not comparable to the blade Excalabur, the blade of Eirias."   
"How are you contacting me?" Craig spat out.   
"Simplistic. These metal pieces are meant as a communication device for the High Magic. They use them to give orders to whatever may need to be controlled at the time being. It was a simple matter for the entire power of the Dark, emassed here, out of time, to bend it to our own purposes!"   
"Well, I hardly seem to think that you need ME anymore. So I guess I'll be seeing you." Craig took the metal, and was about to drop it into the sea.   
"HAH!" A black smoke began drifting from the diamond. The metal wouldn't come out of Craig's hand. "NOT AGAIN!" he screamed as the black smoke entered his nostrils.   
With a small kerplunk the metal fell into the sea. But the man inside the boat was no longer Craig. It was the Black Rider.   
The Rider grinned. "I'm sorry, Mordred, but its sooo hard to do anything in the mortal world from out of Time, know what I mean? I just have...uses for you." He reached down at the capsule half-heartedly. Staring at it, he blinked twice. Astonishment was an emotion the Rider had not felt in a long time.   
"A Balance orb....Mordred found a Balance Orb!" the Rider began to laugh hysterically. "Yes, Hisame Ko Issun indeed! HISAME KO ISSUN INDEED!" 

A/N: You better have liked it. Oh, and someone better post a review on chapter 3 before I finish it. Of course thats going to happen, because I'm Mike, and I'm jinxed. Now that you're done here go read something that actually is good. ^_~ 


	5. Revelation

Hi again. Here's chapter five! I made it uber-long because...well, lets just say if I didn't I'd suddenly find a storm AND an earthquake in my town. So eh. 

Disclaimer: The Lost Land, Gwion, Gwddno and the Pendragon belong to Susan Cooper. 

"My lord?"   
Gwyddno's vision swam. He tried to make out the vision of Gwion, of Taliesin, the crisp curly grey hair and the odd dark stripe of the grey beard. But the great surprise of the Pendragon and Excalibur had taken its toll.   
"Is it...over?" Gwion nodded.   
"The Lost Land is where it was destined to be. At the bottom of an ocean." He looked sadly out to the balcony. All around the familiar area of land was a purple, pulsating energy keeping the waters from the other side at bay. The Lost Land was indeed lost, but the magics inside were too great for the High Magic to let go.   
"...Taliesin?"   
"My lord!"   
Gwyddno Garanhir, the king of the Lost Land, slumped to the ground. Gwion ran to him. He was still alive, but barely.   
"Majesty, hang on! hang on..."   
Gwyddno's head gave another spin. "No." he said calmly. "This is the beginning of the end. It was written.." The King coughed twice. "It was written in the prophecies. Gwion, my minstrel, my heir...it is time for you to know.   
"The Lost Land is only a part, a piece of a whole, much older land. It existed long ago, when the first of the Old Ones was just a young man learning his magic from a bard. They had a very, very powerful source of energy. The four Balance orbs were once kept in the center of this land.   
"But the power was....too great. In a last attempt to keep the forces from destroying the land, the citizens attempted to seperate the orbs. They sent the Earth orb to the west, the land that centuries later was known as the lost land. The Fire orb they gave to the many headed Fire Hydras who live in the Earth's core itself. And the Wind Orb.." Gwyddno struggled to speak. "The Wind orb was lost. But it didnt matter. The Water orb that remained there was too powerful on its own. Almost the entire land of Atlantis sank.   
"The west corner was elevated above the rest of the areas significantly. We kept the Earth orb and pretended that were part of Wales. But it was always our destiny that it would betray us for using it for malice. The orb brought a great earthquake, and with it its sister of Water brought the storm. The same storms you just saw...to send the Lost Land beneath the sea.   
"Gwion..." The King's voice rose with urgency. "You MUST FIND the Earth Orb! I know I had it in my posession, but my head...after the emptyness, it just didnt matter anymore."   
The King took a breath and parted his lips to say more, but suddenly he went limp in Gwion's arms. The King of the Lost Land was dead.   
Gwion gave out a cry of despair. Throughout the Lost Land, a huge ballad of sadness shot through the Castle, the Country, and the City. The whole land mourned for the loss of the King in a slow, funeral march type lilting song. The words had been forgotten long ago.   
Suddenly Gwion heard a noise behind him. The entire wall was spinning around. Behind, a large set of passageways opened up. He set the Kings hands peacefully on his chest, stood up, and walked down the tunnel.   
It was a long way before Gwion saw the end of the tunnel. There, a green throne, laced lavishly with golden frills, was occupied by a man with dark black hair. He was sitting with his face down.   
Gwion reached the room. The man looked up. It was Craig.   
Craig laughed. "Gwion! Ah, you come seeking...this?" In his hand was an orb, beatifully adorned with designs telling of the beginning of the Earth and the cause of it's end.   
Gwion paused warily. "Yes. How did it come into your possession?"   
"That's an interesting tale. It was right here, sitting in it's place." Beside him was a golden chalice-type cup. Four, in fact. They were connected to the throne with long metal poles.   
"But do you know WHAT this place was for?"   
Gwion shook his head. Craig smiled, malice written all over his face.   
"Ah. You see, Gwion...this was the control room of Atlantis. Here, the Fire orb would sit. Here, the Water orb. Here, the Earth orb and here, the Wind." He pointed to one of the gold cups as he mentioned each orb. Inside one, the Water orb sat, a majestic blue color richer then even Eirias.   
Craig set the Earth orb in it's place and grabbed a nearby lever. "You see, Gwion, this is where they could utilize the powers of the four orbs. Just as I intend to do when I find the other two."   
"But...you can't! It will destroy you, and along with it every living creature on the earth!"   
"Isn't that the true purpose of the Dark?" Craig's eyes flashed a cold blue, as if the Rider inside was peeking out.   
Gwion looked at him coldly. "You are mad. You have no power here, in the Lost Land. What are you trying to do."   
"Well you see, I figure, two of the orbs should be enough power for a simple task."   
"Oh? And what will that be?"   
"Taking out the King of the Lost Land!"   
Gwion stood, anger and sadness conflicting inside him. "King Gwyddno is dead. He died after Eirias was taken."   
Craig frowned. "What? Then what is the power I've been sensing? The power that has the control over these two elements? The only one that poses as a threat?"   
Gwion shrugged. "Not that I'd tell you if I knew, but I have no idea. Perhaps it is something of the High Magic."   
Craig laughed. "You do not yet know the true power of the four orbs combined. They are strong enough to wipe out the High Magic with a pull of a lever. Don't you understand the power? The SHEER POWER!?"   
Gwion surged forward with rage. "You are crazy, insane? How do you expect to find the lost Wind orb? How can you deal with the Hydras of the Fire orb? How do you think you can DO this?"   
Craig smiled calmly. "With this." He pulled from his pocket an amulet glowing an intense blue. "It was used by Sappho, considered the tenth muse, to find two girls with the power over these elements. I noticed it sensed to energies of my orbs and therefore will be able to locate the other two much easier."   
Thoughts raced through Gwion's head. He must be crazy. These two girls are the ones he seeks, the ones that control these powers. And yet he doesnt notice.   
Craig blinked twice, and the blue flashed again. "But...of course..." he whispered. "The girls that control the elements. That's who I've been sensing this whole time."   
Damn.   
Craig looked back at Gwion. "I'm not going to waste these energies to kill you now. But you cannot do much from the depths of the ocean. Yes, it should be safe. I'll find these two. Even if it's the last thing I do." With that, he raised a hand and disappeared. The orbs still sat in their places.   
Suddenly Craig appeared again. "Whoops, forgot the orbs," he muttered, embarrassed. He grabbed them and vanished.   
Gwion frowned. "He doesn't seem to be much of a danger...he's a shadow of a man. He's not all THERE." 

A/N: Whew, done. Actually it works better uber-long. I was planning to have the Rider kill Gwion...but I couldn't do it. So now I'm mad at myself. But anyway. Post review things or you will turn into a large mole. Just kidding. 


	6. Secret

Hi again! MetalMike bringing you chapter six. It's somewhat long...not as long as 5 though. I don't really like it, I think I might have rushed this part too much. But eh. Read 'n' stuff 

Emkay642: Lo! and behold! I do spoofs too, BTW. Just this is not one of them. ;) 

Traci & Alana: Thanks for reading and approving...it's hard to add anything to the already complicated tale of the Wild Magic, and I value your opinions =D 

Disclaimer: Pretty much everything in this chapter belongs to Susan Cooper, except for the Balance, my creation, and Traci and Alana who still belong to themselves. 

A small council was gathered around the midsummer tree. Merriman was staring, hair flying in the strong wind that had suddenly overcome them all. He had felt the sense inside him that told the Dark was near go out when the spray was parted...but it had suddenly flared up again, faintly, as if they were not near, but still existant. What was happening?   
The same sense had gone off in Will and Bran, but the three from the track stood confused.   
"Isn't this...the end?" asked Barney. "What's happening?   
Merriman turned to him. "It should be the end. But...something is happening. Something big. Something having to do with the Balance orbs. I can sense it."   
Ten feet away Alana cried out suddenly. Traci glanced at her. "What is it?"   
"The Balance orbs! Remember the last time someone held them...thats what I've been sensing! The Water and Earth orbs; somebody has them.."   
Traci closed her book, suddenly interested. "But the last time anyone held them was a few thousand years ago...of course. When they were distributed by the High Magic." 

Flashback time. *click*> 

A few thousand years ago... 

Sitting on a huge, carven throne was a very old man. He was clothed in a deep blue robe. The hall he sat in was adorned with tapestries of brilliant animals and flowers and birds, woven in rich colors like sunlit stained glass.   
Before the throne were four representitaves. There was Merriman, but this Merriman was considerably younger- his hair was greyed, but not yet white. Beside him stood the Black Rider. He was cloacked in black as usual, but he had no hood, and his red hair looked strange uncovered.   
Next to him was an even older man, clothed in all bright, bright red. And beside him was Gwyddno Garanhir, bright and full of life in sharp contrast to the doomed King of the Lost Land.   
The man in the throne lifted his head. "I have called you four representatives for a very important reason. The High Magic has decided to entrust the Balance orbs to the Earth Magics. Recently we had.." the man's voice paused wearily. "...a traitor. We have decided these orbs are too powerful to be kept in one place. However, Black Rider, unfortunatley for the plans of conquest you have in your mind right now, these Orbs cannot be used without the device a man will invent in the future of this world. A man...only a mortal may use the orbs. Because these orbs have a great destiny before them."   
"To the Light," he said, motioning to Merriman, "I entrust the Fire Orb. May it's blaze glow brilliantly in your care, however short it may be." He turned toward the Black Rider. "Malevolent dark rider, I give to you the Water Orb. Moving water is free of enchantments. If you dare to try to use this, remember it's immunity well."   
The High Magic's representative turned to the other old man. "Mathowny, leader of the Old Magic, I give to you the Wind Orb. There are very specific instructions that go with this one. When it is taken by the civilization by the Atlantians, do not seek it back. Not until they send it away. Then speedily, rush in and retrieve it. Then bring it back here and hide it." Mathowny nodded.   
"And you, Gwyddno, King of the Wild Magic...you will be the head of the Atlantians soon. Take the Earth Orb. May it's firm ground keep the Wild Magic a bit more steady." The man's eyes twinkled, and Gwyddno grinned.   
The man in the throne sighed. "That is all," he said in a haunting, mysterious voice. "The High Magic has plans for you four. Under no circumstance must the wrong men take control of the orbs." He smiled. "Good luck."   
  
* * * 

Merriman, Will and Bran searched the hall thoroughly. Merriman knew the Wind Orb would be here, if Mathowny indeed had brought it back. But where could he have hidden it? What would he have done?   
Suddenly there was a huge roar. On the old, beaten throne, a man appeared suddenly. He had dark hair, and dark eyes....   
Merriman recognised him instantly. "Mordred.." he whispered. "What are you doing here? How are you still alive?"   
Craig grinned. "You seem to be mistaking me for someone else, Merlin," he said easily. "Yes, I once was Mordred...but now-" he hissed."You may call me...Hastings."   
Craig stood up tall and called out a few words in a language that chilled the bones of all present. It was the spell-speech of the Dark. The room shook with fury.   
Bran unsheathed Eirias. Looking behind him, he saw a shimmering, golden shield hanging on the wall. He grabbed it, swiftly, and then almost fainted with shock.   
Right there on the wall, in a little crevice, was the Wind orb. It was crystal clear, and inside white smoke zoomed around in circles. It was very reminiscent of the wind.   
Craig lunged for the orb, and before anyone could react, he was there, almost on top of the-   
Suddenly, someone appeared and grabbed his foot. The Rider went sprawling. Behind him stood none other then Traci.   
"Hm...so you want my orb then, huh, Blacky?" Craig reached down, angrily, toward his pocket for the Water orb. He whispered a few words, and lifted his hand to shoot water from his palm-   
Just as Traci let go a huge attack of wind! The water shot Craig in the face, and the force of the wind blew him back into the wall. The room was shaking hard now. The beams on the roof were splintering from the impact of the Rider's spell. The Wind orb fell from its place in the wall and rolled around the room.   
Traci leaped for the orb. But Craig had finally gotten to his feet. Using the Earth orb, he let go a huge earthquake that tore the entire room in half. The Wind orb rolled into his hand, and the Rider grinned.   
"So long, suckers!" He cried. Traci lunged at him-but her hands met only the air.   
The tremor ceased. The entire room was completely destroyed. The blue eyed girl looked around wildly, and then vanished.   
Will sat up, his head spinning...the Rider, back? Mordred? What was going on...suddenly, a peice of wood fell on his head, and the room faded into black. 

A/N: There, done. I think I might make something after this, sort of an alternate storyline, because of something I was going to do, but then decided not to. And I wont tell you what it is, so nyah. Review! This time you will not turn into a large mole, don't worry. 


	7. Translation

Finally, the mystery is solved! That's right, this is where you'll finally discover what Hisame Ko Issun means! Have fun! 

Disclaimer: Will Stanton, the Old Ones, High Magic, Bran, the Wild Magic and the Light and Dark belong to Susan Cooper. Traci and Alana belong to themselves. Mike is me, therefore, he belongs to me. ^_^; 

I guess I've come to the point in this narrative where it's time to tell you who exactly is writing this. I've been hesitant to reveal my identity, but if you want to understand what happened you need to know.   
My name is Michael Amra. Little is known of who my parents were, except that they were powerful forces of either the Old or Wild magics. People tend to lean to the side of the Wild, given my free personality, but I'll never know the truth.   
I was found by an older resident on the east coast of the United States when I was very young. He cared for me for about a week before he died in a feirce hurricane that suddenly whipped over the coastline. The rescue workers found me alive amid the rubble. Nobody knew how I had survived, and nobody knew what to do with me now.   
I was sent overseas to Wales where I was adopted by the Amras. I stayed there for awhile, but it did not take long to prove that I was not a normal boy....funny story, really. I was just sitting there, facing the window, and Mom popped around the corner into the kitchen. I lifted up a finger and spoke two words-"Cold. Rain." And suddenly, it bagan to rain. The weather forecasters couldn't understand why the rain hadn't frozen. The temperature of it was too low for a liquid.   
My mother shrugged it off as a coincedence, being only a mortal. But it became a joke around the family that I was the 'child of the freezing rain'.   
...don't you see? 'Hisame Ko Issun'... the figure of the High Magic who coined the phrase chose a very odd language. Nobody knew why he used Japanese and not something like the Old Speech. In the traditional way of translating it, Hisame is Hail, Ko is Old, and Issun is One(s). Traditionally, it means Hail the Old Ones.   
But I have done some research on this phrase and found something very odd. Hisame was mistranslated. It does mean hail, but not the VERB hail. It means hail as in chunks of ice, or freezing rain.   
...do you see where Im going with this?   
Ko, therefore, isn't use as an adjective- it becomes a noun. Ko as a noun means child. Don't ask me why old and child are in the same word...anyway, the way I've discovered the phrase to be translated is 'One child of freezing rain.'   
The number of places where this phrase is written is proof to me that it wasn't a coincidence that night. That and the dream...   
It happened a few years ago. I dreamed of a man in a deep, blue robe, sitting on a wooden chair. Beside him were two boxes. One was open, and inside was a beatiful, golden harp. The other remained shut. The man stared at me for a few seconds, and then wordlessly opened up the second box.   
Inside the box was a book. On the front of the book was a single word: 'Gramarye'. He handed the book to me and grinned. 'Hisame Ko Issun..' he whispered. And I awoke in a cold sweat. There in my hands was that book, just like in my dream. I sat up and began to read.   
The book brought me everywhere at once...I knew so much now. It was like a heaviness, a burden to have so much power. At the end of the book a few pages were added in behind a picture of six Signs, linked together by golden bands. The pages told me that I was the last of the Elemental branch of the Wild Magic. It told me that the hail was not my only ability, but it didn't say any more then that.   
The next night I had a dream much like the previous. This time, the man took the book from me and locked it back in his box. "Good luck, Mike.." and then he was gone.   
A year later, last _Samain_, a boy named Will Stanton came to visit Wales. He was not a remarkable boy on sight, but I could sense something in him...something like what I sensed about Bran Davies. He lived on the farm, and I knew him from school. The other boys jeered at him, and I used to be like that as well. But after that dream, I developed something of a respect for him.   
When Will came he wasn't alone. Two girls were following him, but he never seemed to notice them, or if he did, he did a good job of masking it. I later found that they were also of the Elemental Wild Magics. It seemed that one had power over fire and wind, the other over earth and water.   
I had done experimenting to see what I could do with my own powers and found some odd things. I could control metal, but not rock, ice, but not water or anything warm, storms and lightning, but not wind, and smoke, but not flame.   
I followed Will and Bran into Bird Rock. I saw the man I had seen in the dream, sitting there between the two boxes. He only opened the one and gave them the golden harp I had seen. So it was all true...   
After the great battle between the Light and the Dark, Will Stanton left, and the two girls left as well. I remained in Wales, alone. Until the final battle between the Light and the Dark should come, where I would take place in. I was sure of it.   
And so I followed the Light to the Tree, silently. I was there when the Riders were thrown out of Time. I even followed Will and Bran into the hall of the Light.   
But now would be the great tax of my powers, I felt. The Black Rider must NOT get the Fire orb, or the world would be annhialated. Muttering a few words, I vanished. Destination? The core of the earth. 

A/N: Yes, we're moving from third to first person now! Hehe, I'm introducing one of the main characters in the seventh chapter of my fic...o.O 


	8. Destruction

This is a fun chapter. :) 

Disclaimer: Traci and Alana belong to themselves, and the Black Rider belongs to Susan Cooper. Everything else is mine. 

Little are the people who know what exactly the core of the earth is like. I'm positive that if anyone went, it'd have people flocking there constantly to see it. I mean, it's this REALLY huge cave, so big that if you strain your eyes and look up you STILL can't see the top of it. It's like a large sphere. However, things are really weird there.   
Gravity affects us from the core, obviously. But when you're IN the core, gravity pulls everywhere at once, canceling itself out. Your weight is enough to keep you on solid ground, but you can walk up and around the entire thing without feeling the least bit of blood rushing to your head. It's incredibly amazing.   
Unfortunately, I only had a short time to fool around with this odd effect. I was here for a reason, after all. The Dark Rider, or 'Blacky' as the two girls there called him, was going to be here soon. Something, however was taking him much longer then expected. Probably preparing something that would make him invincible, trivial stuff like that.   
As I mentioned, I wasn't alone in the cave. The two elemental girls were there, but also a huge army of seven headed hydras. They were all fire, terrible to behold. Needless to say, I stayed a considerable distance away. No use taking any uneeded risks.   
Behind where the hydras stood was a tunnel. There were two tunnels in the sphere, one was what we had come through, and the other was the route that led directly to the Fyre Orb. Some hydras were in front of both tunnels, simply to throw the Rider off track.   
We had formulated a plan. The moment the Rider appeared, Traci would use her Wind magics against him. Alana would then douse him with water, which I would freeze.   
We were hoping the Rider would be ready for Fire, and not for Wind.   
If any of this failed, the Hydras would burn him as much as possible. With so many attacks from all over, we were hoping he had no way of defending them all.   
But we weren't prepared for what he had done.   
He appeared in the center of the cave. Around him was a large sphere of water, being supported by a strong wind from both sides. He was holding the Wind and Water orbs and had pocketed Earth!   
Traci let loose the wind, but Craig simply made the counter wind inside the protective sphere of water stronger. It didn't affect him in the least bit.   
The Hydras were shooting him with fire, but it couldnt get through the thick shield of water. It was up to me, I realised with a shock.   
I ran up as fast as I could and stood above him. He never saw me. Whispering a few words, I willed the air around him to lose it's warmth.   
Freeze, water. Freeze! I cried out silently. And suddenly the Rider was encased in a block of ice. Craig beat on it feverously, but no avail. It had worked!   
Then I suddenly realised that the Hydras had no idea that this had happened. They believed it was another shield of his. The ice was melting under the flames!   
"STOP!!!" I cried, much too late. Craig fell out of the ice and slammed into the ground. Then his hand reached his pocket.   
The Earth orb!   
The cavern rocked as if an immense hand had grabbed it and shook it. With the core shaking around the center of gravity, we were all slammed from wall to wall repeatedly.   
Finally, it stopped. I lifted my head weakly. Craig had put on his shield of water and was running down the tunnel. He had guessed right! Something told him where the orb was!   
Gritting my teeth, I got up and ran after him. The tunnel was long and winding. There was about a miles stretch, but at the end I could see a glimmering metal door.   
Suddenly, I had it.   
I willed the minerals from the rock around me to come to me. I built a thin iron shield around my body. Then I pulled the electricity from the air and pulled it around me like a rope. I was making my body into a magnet.   
I added more electricity. I needed more pull...   
*CLINK.*   
I had flown down the tunnel and slammed into the door! Craig stopped short, snarling. I thickened the metal around me and leaped down to face him.   
He blasted a stream of water at me, but I froze it inches from my face. We fought without getting much of anywhere for a brief moment, but then, suddenly...   
The wall to my left caved in entirely. Standing there was Ector! He leaped at Blacky.   
I turned and ran through the metal door. In the small room was the Fyre Orb on a pedestal. I knew what I had to do.   
"Traci's going to KILL me..." I muttered, before grabbing a piece of metal and smashing the orb.   
The orb shattered into a million peices. A huge burst of energy came from the center, charring the room and throwing me back several feet. 

A/N: I had to do it *shrug* R/R kthx. 


	9. Creation

Really good song: 'Wherever you will go' by The Calling. Trust me. 

Traci: I was trying to make this the opposite of a self insertion :( I wanted to just write in the point of view of a character I can relate to, it makes more sense, because I'm more free. Besides, if I made a self-insertion I'd be much more of a pyro *grins evily as Alana glares*. One more thing: I dont really get the Fire and Air becoming lightning, etc. thing. Because Air cant really freeze water (sure it can cool it down, but not FREEZE) and therefore, no ice, no comets. Though you can make meteors with Earth and Fire, an ability I lack! You know, I should get to the chapter now. ^^; 

Disclaimer: The Rider belongs to Susan Cooper. Alana and Traci belong to themselves. Everything else is my creation. 

Pain seared through my body. The flame energies from the Fire Orb had melted my metal coat, and the molten metal was burning my skin. I quickly did the first thing I could think of: I used my powers to pour cold water over the molten metal. Then I hastily pulled off the now hardened metal.   
I was basically alright except for one thing. A bit of metal on my arm had taken the full brunt of the blast, and imprinted in the burn was a shape of the Fire Orb. I bit my lip and tried to ignore the searing pain. The water wouldn't help it anymore. It had to heal on its own.   
I got up and I saw Ector, still fighting the Rider with a pair of swords. Their four blades were lined with colors-brown, blue, red, and white. The Rider kept blasting him with one of his orbs, but he always deflected it. He was closing in on the Rider, slowly...but it wasn't fast enough for Craig to see that the Fire Orb had been shattered. With a cry of rage, he vanished.   
Ector stood for a moment, breathing heavily. Down the hall, the door opened, and Traci and Alana came running in.   
"Hoo boy," I said, and hid behind Ector.   
The scene was almost as I imagined it. Traci saw the shattered orb, and would have practically killed me if Ector had not been there. He began to speak, as if it was a great burden to talk.   
"Traci, the orbs were evil. It's true. Whoever held the orbs could control elements, yes. But YOUR power had nothing to do with that." He sighed heavily. "They were created by the High Magic. But not to protect us." He looked up sadly.   
"The High Magic believed that mankind was dangerous to the rest of the universe. The orbs were created to lure men into destroying themselves, so that the blood of the human race wouldn't be on their hands. It was all a trick."   
I stared at him, shocked. "My god..." I whispered. I had no idea how close we had gotten to the apocolypse that day. If the four orbs were together for long enough for the Rider to tap into his powers, the Earth and all life would be reduced to nothing more then a speck of matter floating in the universe.   
"Didn't you think it odd that the High Magic didn't lift a finger to defend the orbs from the Dark?" continued Ector. "The High Magic is very shrewd. And they won't be happy about what has happened here. There is only one thing left for us to do."   
Ector reached out with his hand into the air, and concentrated hard on the peice of air he had in his grasp. In his hand, a thin wire suddenly dissolved into view. He clenched his hand around the wire and yanked at it. It broke and vanished again. He turned back to us.   
"I've broken off our link with the High Magic. As long as I'm with you, we'll be hidden. We are going to do what only one group of people has ever done in history before. We will fight the High Magic."   
Unconsiously his voice deepened, and I felt a prickling on the back of my neck.   
"The orbs can be turned to instraments of good, but it will take all four. I know a way to do it, but it will tax all of our powers." He stared at each of us in turn. "We don't have much time. I'm going to bring you to where I stay." There was a sudden shining of light, and the three of us were standing in the middle of a room with a thatched roof. Before us was a stone table. Four empty glass orbs sat alone in engraved cut-outs in the table. Ector crossed to the table and picked up one of the orbs.   
"Traci," he said thoughtfully, "how much do you know about central combustion?"   
"Central combustion?", asked Traci, caught off guard. "I think I was taught some of that...but it must have been hundreds of years ago." She thought for a second. "I guess I can do it."   
Ector grinned slightly. "Excellent. You see, the Fire orb is the only one that can be restored. Central combustion is the art of burning from the inside out. There is no such art for the other three elements. We can use this art to get a great quantity of energy into this orb." He shook his head, as if regretting what he had said. "But it would take so much power from you."   
"Will the orb be evil any longer?" asked Traci.   
"Of course not."   
"Then I'll do it."   
Ector pondered for a moment, then handed the orb to Traci. She stared at for a second, then closed her eyes and concentrated hard.   
A few moments later, Traci opened her eyes. "I can't latch on. How can I use central combustion on air, something not even solid?"   
"You just have to believe there is something there, Traci," said Ector gently. "We are here to try. It is the best we can do to try."   
Traci nodded and turned back to the orb. This time, a faint glimmer of light appeared in the center of the glass. Suddenly, Traci gave a small cry of pain. The entire orb had flamed up inside, but Traci would have dropped it if Ector wasn't there, swiftly taking it and setting it on the table. He turned back to Traci.   
"I didn't say it would be easy," he said softly. "But now, the other three remain. Using the energy from the other three, we can remake the orbs in a holy light rather then shrewd dark. We only need the other three orbs.." He was cut off abruptly as the door opened with a deafining slam.   
"You mean these?" Craig was standing at the doorway, the amulet around his neck glowing bright red.   
Alana leaped up, about to send an attack at the Rider. But Ector was there first. He grabbed the newly created Fire Orb and thust it at the Rider.   
A huge, bright light began shining from the Fire orb. The other three Orbs were glowing a swallowing blackness. I gulped. The orbs had been reunited.   
Craig stumbled back, eyes bulging. Something was happening. He fell back onto the ground, screaming in pain. I don't remember much of it, but it was very fast. Craig simply...shriveled up and fizzled out with a small hissing noise. The three orbs fell to the ground and Ector hurriedly got the Fire orb away from them.   
"Don't worry. Three evil orbs and one good didn't do anything but kill the man who possesed them. We have what we need now. The Rider will bother us no more." 

A/N: I hope you like my strange twist. Battling the corrupted High Magic is no easy task... 


	10. Preparation

...Sorry! I haven't updated this in a long time :( Dont worry, I'm back from where I went and I will continue to write! :D When you're done with this, go to the username Psychic Jack, my good friend, and TheJabs, a joint account between him and I. Read the Jaba stories there, because that's my new focus of work after this. And Jaba is 1337, so nyah. 

Disclaimer: Will and Bran belong to Susan Cooper. Traci and Alana belong to themselves. nyah. 

Ector worked fast. He moved the Fire orb away and locked it inside a cabinet, then hastened back to the empty orbs and the three evil ones. In one swift motion, he grabbed a long, shiny cylinder from a shelf and jammed it into the Earth orb.   
I could never remember what exactly happened. Just, suddenly, the brown, swirling energies of the Earth orbs were captured in the straw. The old orb was empty...and yet...it was more of an invisible explosion, a surge of energy captured inside the orb, so that when you glanced at it your eyes burned. It was evil in a container.   
Ector siezed one of the new, empty orbs. I could see the difference between the two now. The new one made your eyes burn, but it was more like a bright light shining from the inside. The brown energies flowed into the orb. The difference between the old and the new was so subtle, you could barely tell-it was simply that one gave you a nasty knot in the middle of your stomach and the other did not.   
Ector did the same to the other two orbs and grinned. It was the first time I had seen him smile; it transformed his usually solemn face...He turned to me now, and began to speak.   
"We are ready. We four will each carry an orb. You three from the track will carry the Wind, Earth and Fire orbs."   
I frowned at him, thinking about what he had said. "From the track? But-"   
Ector nodded. "Poetic license, you could say. All three of you were normal mortals before powers of the Wild Magic chose you for special positions. I'm like that sometimes..." His voice faded off.   
Could Ector know something about my past life I didn't?   
Suddenly, a new light began to glow in the corner of the room. It was the blade Erias-and underneath was Bran. Next to him stood Will.   
"What about us?"   
Ector snapped back sharply. "What about you?"   
Will walked slowly down to stare at the orbs. In a sing-song type voice, he began to speak like a child reciting a poem.   
"_When the Dark comes rising, six shall turn it back._   
_ Three from the circle, three from the track._"   
Bran nodded. "Those who commit evil are not unlike the Dark. More poetic license."   
Ector stood in awe. "I never thought of it that way before," he pondered. "But the rest of the verses don't coincide at all."   
Out of nowhere, Will pulled out the Six signs, clinking and shining. "When they vanished, it turned out that they had simply returned to where they had been previously."   
Bran chuckled quietly. "Oy, was it tough to get that sign of the Iron...we had no idea where Dawson had gotten it from, and we couldn't find him...ended up finding it in an old shack...." his voice trailed off.   
Ector walked up to him, eyes locked on. "If you come, prepare for a hard battle. The High Magic is not easy to combat, even with the orbs." He eyed the blade Erias. "The sword will help; Excalabur is one of the few blades that can harm the High Magic. And you," he eyed Will. "Wield the Signs well." Will nodded.   
Ector turned back to me.   
"Hisame Ko Issun...this may be especially taxing on you. The phrase specifically points you out. Take this." He handed me a blade. The sword was ornatley carved, with the word Dimoltre written on the hilt. "It is the brother sword to Excalabur." He turned to Traci and Alana. "I dont think I need to teach you two how to cause havoc," his eyes twinkled. "We'll use you two as destractions. Cause as much mayhem as you possibly can." Finally, he handed me the Wind orb, Traci the Fire orb, and Alana the Earth orb. "The King of the High Magic resides in an undersea palace. Let's go." 


	11. Defeat

Well, this is it. The final battle. I said I'd conclude with this chapter. Thats not entirely true ^_~; Actually, I'm not going to leave you hanging like this, so I'll write an epilouge. 

Traci: Eh, sorry about that. I probably should have clarified that. The metal cylinder was hollow, and in essence a straw, so when I refered to them I meant the same thing. :/ 

As we slowly floated down toward the huge palace of the Lord of the High Magic, I couldn't help playing ominous music in my head.   
Ector gave us a debriefing of our mission. Alhan was the ruler of the High Magic, but he was shrouded in mystery and Ector wasn't sure what our battle would consist of. However, he knew that the High Magic had created a rift into another world, which they had planned to escape into when man used the four orbs and annhilated Earth. The orbs were too powerful for them, and they needed a way out. But not even Alhan knew exactly WHAT would be revealed through the rift. Alhan was hoping that it would lead somewhere empty, where he could begin anew... They had made it so that the rift would begin to close automatically as a response to the energies of the orbs. They would have just enough time to get through.   
Of course, this plan was pretty much abandoned. The orbs had been taken into custody by Ector and the three Wild renegades. Ector was sure Alhan knew by now, since Craig had not cut off any bonds with the High Magic as Ector had done. Now that Craig was dead, Alhan wouldn't be able to track us any longer.   
All this went on in a silent conversation telepathically while we swam down, deeper and deeper. Alana was in her element, so to speak. Traci, on the other hand, prefered to use her wind powers to push the water away from her. Fire and water dont mix.   
I, on the other hand, was pretty neutral to the water. Smoke and Ice aren't really helped nor hindered by water. Metal rusts in it, but Lightning conducts in it, and I guess it just canceled out.   
Ector? I could never tell what emotions were behind his calm face.   
Will and Bran stayed behind for the most part. Being part of the Circle, I'm sure they had no troubles.   
I allowed my mind to doze like this for awhile. Pacman. I was thinking randomly. That's how I get when I'm bored. Bright green paper-mache cups. That kind of murky green that-   
"We're here."   
Ector's words sliced and diced the silence into little pieces which were washed away by a coming wave. I saw before me the wavering image of a silver half-orb. It wasn't wavering in the sense that it looked like that through the water-no, I saw quite clearly in the water. It was wavering like heat coming up from a barbecue and making the image behind shimmer, making it all look partially real...   
It was too bad we were here on unpleasant business. I could have liked this place.   
Immediatly, as we swooped downward, we found ourselves at the opposite end of a long hall. At the other end was quite an ornate throne. But we weren't looking at that.   
Because floating in the air above the head of the king Alhan was a crack in midair. It was about ten feet in length and five feet wide. Through the crack was nothing. Not nothing as in 'the room was empty', and not nothing as in emptiness of space. Just like the black, swallowing emptiness of the old orbs, inside the crack was a FEELING of nothingness.   
Alhan was cloaked in a mist-like substance. The hood revealed nothing but a bent nose and a startling white beard. The lines on his face that disappeared into shadow as they moved up were vaguely reminscent of Merriman, Will thought. Only lacking the kindess...   
Alhan then spoke. "The leader of the Old and Wild Magic comes to assault me?"   
Suddenly I felt a great power eminating from Ector. He seemed to grow taller and wiser, gaining power slowly. "Indeed we have!" he cried. Then silently, he called into our minds. "The orbs! Activate them NOW!"   
Traci, Alana, Ector and I concentrated on the orbs we held in our hands. Suddenly, Ector held a huge sword, glowing with power. He raised it up in front of Alhan.   
Alhan seemed simply annoyed. "Do you not think I would prepare myself for something like this?"   
Ector pointed the sword at Alhan. "This blade, made by the energies of the newly reborn Orbs, is growing already. It removes you, strips you of the powers you have. Right now you are nothing more then a shell."   
Alhan laughed. "I was prepared." He opened a capsule to his right and removed a glass orb. The energies contained were white. "I may not be able to kill you myself. But it is a simple task to bring someone who can."   
Alhan threw the orb to the ground. "REKRAD!" he cried. An illusion, a mist seeped from the orb in the shape of a man. Alhan looked at it in the eyes. "Mordred." he whispered.   
There was a bang. Suddenly, Craig stood there in the place of the white orb. And in his hands were the Evil Wind, Earth and Water orbs!   
Alhan laughed crazily. "KILL THEM, RIDER! GET YOUR REVENGE!"   
Craig stood for a moment, and then turned back to Alhan. The light flickered over his face and illuminated his age. "No." The one word seemed to be the only human speech we had heard in years.   
Disbelief flashed over Alhan's face. "But-"   
"You are a fool, Alhan." Craig spat out. "You were always a fool. I knew you before you became lord of the most corrupt leadership any universe has known. You could never get a spell right. Resurrecting me does YOU no good. You forgot about who controlled me then. The Black Rider. You totally forgot about the Rider!"   
Alhan roared back. "But they KILLED you!"   
"They didnt kill ME. I wasn't held accountable for my actions. There was one way to stop the Rider. And as it was, that way was to stop ME."   
Ector grinned widely. "The time has come." he whispered softly. He lifted the sword higher.   
Alhan's face twisted in rage. "GUARDS!"   
From the ground burst seventeen huge trolls, weilding huge spiked maces. They charged at the six of us!   
I opened my hand and willed the metal in the mace to obey my command. The weapon flew up into the air and crashed into the ceiling. A crack appeared in the metal ceiling, which began working its way up...   
Water poured in through the crack. I used it to my advantage and sent a bolt of lightning through the water and into four of the guards. They sizzled, and collapsed.   
In the front, I saw Ector and Alhan dueling. Alhen weilded a blade as black as Ector's was white. Craig was making mincemeat out of a troll in the far corner. Will had already obliterated three with a single spell, and Bran was cleaving flesh with Excalabur. Alana and Traci were combining their abilities to rain meteors down at the guards.   
And so, I was the only one who saw Alhan pin Ector against the wall, his black blade at Ector's throat.   
The water continued to flow from the crack in the ceiling. Concentrating hard, I froze some of it and sent it for Alhan's head. He stumbled for a moment, enough for Ector to strike!   
Alhan cried in pain as the blade knocked him backwards. He would have merely hit the wall. But Craig grabbed his Wind orb and sent a gale of wind at the Lord of High Magic.   
Alhan flew up and into the floating crack!   
Ector cried telepathically, "USE THE ORBS! HURRY!"   
Each of us let out the white power of the elemental orbs. The crack wavered, and slammed shut. Caught between the edges was a hem of a mist-woven cloak.   
The remaining trolls were blown away like dust sculptures in a hurricane. Not a trace was left. The High Magic had finally departed this world. The battle was over.   
  
A/N: Like it? Or did it make you think I'm just stark raving mad? Or both? 


	12. Epilouge

Here it is. The end of The Old, the Wild and its Master....and the window into the next fic...Oh, and sorry for the delay. I went on a trip to Williamsburg, Virginia for a few nights with my school. 

Traci: They weren't Wild Magic orbs though...they were made by the High Magic. And when Ector had the other glass orbs, made by himself, they did not contain the evil that the High Magic enclosed in their creations. Oh...and I was planning to insert something between Traci and Will in the End fic...I'm planning three fics: A beginning, a middle, and an end. This is the beginning. I'm going to write the End next, so you arent aware of what happened between. And then I'll fill it in with the Middle. Sound okay? 

A thick coat of melencholy lay over the massacre.   
Ector walked slowly toward the hem of the mist cloak, trapped in between the two edges of the huge crack into another world. He seized the cloak, and pulled it through. The crack, now able to close completely, vanished.   
Taking small steps, he made his way up to the throne and looked at it. It was adorned with inscriptions in a flowery script.   
"This is the same language as your calling, Michael. Hisame Ko Issun." He examined the throne. "This was made by a rebel of the High Magic...the rest did not understand this language. Alhan never knew his chair was covered with prophecies..."   
"It says here what I have been fearing." He suddenly swiveled around at us. The candlelight danced over the mist cloak in his hands, sending rays of color over his forehead. "The battle is not over. Alhan has what he needs to create a new world over there. And in time he will be back to destroy this one. But this war may not be ours to fight. The inscriptions...they speak only of another...we disappear completely. It claims another person will rise...but this person..it says clearly he was CREATED by a mortal." Will glanced at him, perplexed.   
"I do not understand. " Ector shook his head.   
Bran turned to him, grinning. "But it doesn't matter anymore! We've won what we can win. We've tried and succeeded. We've prevented the premature deaths of billions of people. Don't you think we've done enough!?"   
Ector smiled again, calmly. "It is for now. But listen. There are those of the High Magic who were not part of the plot to destroy this universe." He pulled the cloak around his shoulders. "And therefore, I, Ector, also known as Arthur, take upon me the burden of the crown of Angmor." Something was glinting in his eyes as he sat on the throne. Then he began to laugh.   
Will was the first to kneel, and I followed. Ector laughed even harder. But we knew he was covering up what he was doing. He was one of few who really understood that a crown is fully a burden...that power is nothing...   
Well, I wasn't one of those few, I'll say that.   
We made it to the land without event. Traci and Alana sort of disappeared when we neared the train. Will took a different one, off back to England. Bran and I went toward Wales.   
That is where I am today. Sitting at my table, putting on the appearance of a normal person in a normal house with normal friends.   
This has been the account of Hisame Ko Issun, Michael R. Amra. When Alhan is back, this inscription shall hopefully find its way into the hands of the new warriors. Whoever they are...I wish them luck... 

Hisame Ko Issun - May 17, 2002 

Note: This parchment was found on the apparently dead body of a young boy after a battle with the wizard Stagmar. By his own account, he is not capable of death, and the date claims he lived long ago. We are unsure what to do, or what shall happen to the other four alongside him. - Almon Halfour - September 17, 2134. 

A/N: The next fic will appear soon. I just have to work out a few things, and I'll be ready. It'll be better then this one, because I am alarmed by the number of cliches I inserted here. But anyway. 


End file.
